1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a protective cover for sunglasses and eyeglasses, and more particularly, to a pair of elastic tubular sleeves designed to be fitted over the temples of a pair of sunglasses or eyeglasses when the glasses are being worn, then slid over and around the lenses of the glasses so as to provide protection to the lenses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Protective covers and the like for sunglasses and eyeglasses are well known and have been universally used for many years, ranging from hard and soft cases to protective covers. These covers are designed to protect the lenses of the eyeglasses or sunglasses from damage, such as scratching, particularly when the glasses are taken off and stored. Most of these are carried separately from the eyeglasses and sunglasses.
Among such protective covers are sleeves or pouches that are utilized to cover the lenses of the glasses. An example of such a protective sleeve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,695, which issued to Tallman on Sep. 4, 1990 for “Protective cover for eyeglasses.” Tallman contemplates a protective cover for eyeglasses formed of a generally tubular member having axially opposite open ends constructed from relatively resilient material for housing at least the frame front and lenses of a pair of eyeglasses, which cover is hung on a retainer when not in use.
There are also numerous references in which the eyeglass cover is integrated with the retaining means. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,145, which issued to Mitchell on Nov. 12, 2002 for “Eyeglasses retainer and case with detachable straps” discloses a double rolled stretch fabric protective member which is detachably attached to a pair of connection members at each end to form an eyeglasses retainer and case combination with detachable straps. The connection members comprise tubular straps that may receive the stems of eyeglasses therein and are held in place on the stems by elastic bands within the ends of the straps. The assembly is then worn around the head or neck as a retainer preventing the eyeglasses from sliding forward or falling off in sports and such.
Similar devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,393, which issued to Shiue, et al. on Apr. 7, 1998 for “Eyeglass retainer/cover” which discloses an eyeglass retainer/cover being an integral combination eyeglass pouch and a neck strap fabricated from a single strip of flexible and stretchable fabric and U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,837, which issued to Seiler on Nov. 18, 1997 for “Eyeglass retainer and protective cover,” which discloses a protective device for a pair of eyeglasses including a pouch into which the eyeglasses can be inserted, without removal of the attachment elements. The pouch in the Seiler patent is inverted between a retainer configuration wherein the eyeglasses are held to the head of a user and a cover configuration wherein the eyeglasses are lodged within the pouch. A positive closure permits the pouch to be closed in both the retainer and cover configurations and opened for insertion and removal of the eyeglasses. In a related patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,024, which issued to Seiler on Jan. 14, 1997 for “Eyeglass retainer and protective cover,” discloses a protective device for attachment to a pair of eyeglasses includes a pouch into which the eyeglasses can be inserted, without removal of the attachment elements. The pouch may be constructed with a drawstring closure, a snap closure, an elasticized closure or, in an alternate embodiment, separate pouches may be provided for separately protecting each of the eyeglass frames.
Other examples of the combination cover/retainer include U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,682, which issued to Tatar on Apr. 5, 1994 for “Eyeglass storage and protection device that can function to secure eyeglasses while eyeglasses are worn,” in which the protection and storage enclosure is transformed into a strap and used to secure the eyeglasses around the head of the wearer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,778, which issued to Conley on Sep. 29, 1992 for “Eyeglass case and retainer,” which discloses a case for holding eyeglasses integrated with the head band of an eyeglass retainer, in which a separate, flexible sheet conforms to the shape of and is secured to the head band case for defining a pocket between the base and the sheet, permitting the folded eyeglasses to be inserted through a slot and encased between the base and the sheet while attached to the retaining straps; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,216, which issued to Mitchell on Apr. 7, 1992 for “Eyeglasses retainer and case,” which discloses the use of stretch fabric double rolled and then sewn to tubular straps at each end to form an eyeglasses retainer, case combination, which tubular straps are attached to the stems of eyeglasses and are held in place on the stems by elastic bands within the ends of the straps.
Another category of eyeglass protective cover can be described as an eyeglass cover that is folded and stored in a separate pouch with rings that can be attached to either the retainer or to one of the temples. An example of such cover is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,846, which issued to Walker, et al. on May 14, 1991 for “Protective cover for eyeglasses,” which discloses a protective cover comprised of flexible material that can be folded into a compact configuration suitable for storage within a pouch, which is either integrally formed within a strap for retaining eyeglasses about one's neck or is provided with rings for attachment to the strap or portions of an eyeglass frame.
Still another type of eyeglass protective sleeve can be described as a cover made from a single flexible envelope of unitary construction open at both ends, designed to provide a lightweight, washable, inexpensive receptacle which can be easily folded upon itself to fit compactly within any pocket. An example of such a protective sleeve is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,013, which issued to Eastman on Sep. 5, 1989 for “Conformal protective spectacle receptacle,” which discloses a spectacle receptacle comprising an envelope of woven material including a wall retention member and one or more end closures which can be refastened, which receptacle increases any primary dimension of the spectacles by no more than the thickness of the material.
It should be appreciated that much of the prior art relies on a retainer, which is needed to carry the cover when the user is not wearing the glasses. The addition of the retainer adds more components and encumbrance to the protective element, and is not aesthetically desirable to many users. Furthermore, the retainer may be dangerous in certain situations, such as when the glasses are being worn during athletic activities, since the retainer may get caught on outside objects while the user is in motion. In addition, the retainer is more likely to get lost, since it may be disconnected from the eyeglasses in certain situations, an event that is less likely to occur when the covers always reside on the eyeglass frames themselves.
Other prior art references require a separate pouch and rings to enable the cover to be attached to one of the temples, which is less efficient and more expensive to manufacture. These types of protective devices are typically disruptive to the user, since they result in an unequal weight distribution on the eyeglass frames that may pull the glasses to one side of the user's face, and the pouches dangle from the rings and may strike the side of the user's face during movement.
Many protective covers for eyeglasses use a single tubular sleeve, which protective elements cannot be carried on the eyeglass frame but must be stored separately, thereby being less convenient and more likely to be forgotten or lost.
As shall be appreciated, the prior art fails to specifically address either the problem or the solution arrived upon by applicant.